Civilian Killed in Pro-Russian Rebel Attack in East Ukraine

March 20, 2015

One civilian was killed on Friday in an attack by pro-Russian separatist rebels in the government-controlled town of Avdiyivka in east Ukraine despite a cease-fire deal, Ukrainian regional police said.

"Today at around 15:00 [13:00 GMT] one man was killed as a result of a direct hit on a private residence," the police said in an online statement, blaming rebel fighters for the attack, without giving further details.

A peace plan to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine has come under renewed strain this week, with Ukraine and Russia clashing publicly over the next steps and further Ukrainian military casualties from rebel attacks testing the fragile truce.